Pregame Preview: Padres seek relief from late Mets rallies

Second baseman Orlando Hudson is not in the Padres starting lineup Wednesday, but he’s also still on the active roster.

Padres manager Bud Black said the Padres are “cautiously optimistic” that the “mild” right groin strain suffered by Hudson Tuesday night will not become a a disabled list issue.

“We’re going to watch him for a few days,” said Black as the Padres prepared to face the Mets in the third game of a four-game series at Citi Field (4:10 p.m.; TV: 4 San Diego).

Black said the Padres are temporarily “covered” in the infield with rookies Logan Forsythe and James Darnell and utilityman Alberto Gonzalez. Forsythe will start at third Wednesday with Gonzalez at second.

One Padre you won’t be seeing Thursday is right-handed reliever Chad Qualls. But not necessarily because of his eighth-inning woes. Qualls has pitched the last three games, including the back-to-back disastrous appearances in New York in the first two games of the series.

On Monday, the Padres lost 9-8 after taking a 8-4 lead into the bottom of the eighth. On Tuesday, the Padres lost 5-4 after taking a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth.

After giving up a three-run homer with two inherited runners Sunday in Pittsburgh, Qualls gave up two runs on two hits and a walk Monday night and came back Tuesday to be pinned with the loss after allowing three runs on three hits in the eighth without retiring a batter.

Qualls had a 2.60 ERA on July 14 after striking out two in 1 2/3 perfect innings against the Giants at Petco Park in an eighth straight scoreless outing.

In 13 appearances since, Qualls has allowed 12 runs 18 hits, including five homers, and two walks in 11 iunnings. That is a 9.82 ERA, driving his overall ERA up 1.42 to 4.02.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the negative milestones set by the Padres the first two games in New York include:

--It marked only the second time in franchise history and the first time since 1995 that the Padres lost back-to-back games in which they held leads of two runs or greater in the eighth inning or later.

--The first back-to-back losses following blown saves since June 19-20, 2009 (at home vs. Oakland).

--The first time blowing a two-run lead in the eighth or later in back-to-back games since July 23-24, 2006 (at San Francisco and at Los Angeles, with the Padres winning both games).

On the flip side, the Mets won two consecutive games when trailing by two or more in the eighth for only the third time in their history, the first two instances being on May 19-20, 1962, and April 23-24, 1965.

Aaron Harang will seek his 11th win of the season Wednesday night against the Mets. He has to deal with two of his toughest opponents in Jason Bay (.370, 17-for-46 with six doubles, a triple and five home runs) and David Wright (.667, 8-for-12, two doubles, one homer).